4 DAYS TO GO

DEF: Decide firmly on a course of action; Firm determination to do something.

1. A RESOLVE TO SEEK THE LORD

2 Chronicles 20:2-4

Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

DECLARE: I RESOLVE TO SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL MY HEART.

2. A RESOLVE TO WORSHIP WITH OUR CHILDREN

Exodus 10:8-9

Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.” Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.”

DON’T LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN OUT OF THE EQUATION

DECLARE: AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD

3. A RESOLVE TO LIVE A SANCTIFIED LIFE

Daniel 1:8-9

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel,

THERE WILL BE FAVOR FROM THE LORD FOR THOSE WHO STAND RESOLUTE, DETERMINED IN THEIR HEARTS TO HONOR THE LORD BY LIVING RIGHT!

DECLARE: MY LIFE WILL BE HOLY, ACCEPTABLE AND PLEASING IN GOD’S SIGHT

4. A RESOLVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

Nehemiah 4:7-9

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at THE EXPOSED PLACES, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILIES, your SONS and your DAUGHTERS your WIVES and your HOMES.” When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

WHAT ARE THE “EXPOSED PLACES” YOUR LIFE?

Wrong associations

Ungodly business dealings

Inconsistent living

Anger driven actions. . .

Bitterness

Evil speaking – vulgar, coarse / crude jokes

DETERMINE TO CLOSE THE EXPOSED PLACES AND FIGHT FOR THE PRECIOUS ONES AROUND YOU!

DECLARE: I WILL FIGHT TO DEFEND TRUTH AND WHATEVER THE LORD

5. A RESOLVE TO PURSUE DIVINE DESTINY

5.1. YOUR FINAL OUTCOME SHALL BE VICTORIOUS.

Jeremiah 29:11. AMP

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your FINAL OUTCOME.

Come home, hope-filled prisoners! This very day I’m declaring a double bonus— everything you lost returned twice-over!

Isaiah 40:1-2. NIV

Comfort for God’s People Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

HARD LABOR IS OVER! THERE’S DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE!

5.3. DON’T LET THE ENEMY TRICK YOU INTO SLUMBER CONCERNING THE GOOD PLAN OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE

Psalms 106:13. NIV

But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.

Psalms 106:13. AMP

But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them,

GOD IS DETERMINED TO DO YOU GOOD

5.4. DETERMINE TO PERSUADE YOUR RELATIVES TO COME ALONG IN THE GOOD PLANS OF GOD – MOSES DID!

Numbers 10:29-32

Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for THE LORD HAS PROMISED GOOD THINGS to Israel.” He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.” But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, WE WILL SHARE with you WHATEVER GOOD THINGS the LORD gives us.”

ENCOURAGE THEM

PLEAD WITH THEM

BEG THEM IF YOU MUST!

JUST DON’T LET THEM REMAIN OUTSIDE OF THE THE GOOD PLANS AND PROMISES OF OUR GOD!

NB. Often it is hard for human nature to follow what is not seen yet – Moses father-in-law knew “Moss” pretty well. Moses had been his employee for a good forty years. Moses could hardly manage his schedule and priorities concerning self, family or people management! He worked from sunrise to sunset doing what should have been delegated to others in the first place. He was at a danger of neglecting the very relationship with GOD that had brought him and the people thus far out of Egypt.

Jethro had been the one who rescued this “young and inexperienced” leader by giving him firm advice on how to manage and prioritize. How could he now expect himself to follow Moss to ” who-knows-where?”

Often the people GOD expects us to “win” into HIS WAY know us so well, some, we grew up before them, our developmental stages with all their faults were before them – at first they may be tempted to say No! like Jethro did but thank GOD Moses persisted!

Be Persistent, they’ll “hear you” soon!

6. A RESOLVE TO LIFT JESUS HIGH

1 Corinthians 2:2-5

For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.

WHEN CHRIST IS CENTRAL AND SUPREME IN OUR PREACHING – MIRACLES WILL NOT BE SCARCE!

Acts 10:42-44

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.